Our Picks This Month

Shrubs and Color:

Summer is in full swing, and what better place to weather the heat than your own tropical paradise? Here are a few warm weather darlings to get you in a summer state of mind...

Plumeria

Stuck on the mainland this summer? Bring the spirit of aloha to your garden with Plumeria (also known as Frangipani).

With its exotic flowers and ethereal fragrance, you won't even miss the beach...

Hibiscus

Prepare to be wowed! Hibiscus moscheutos is one of our new tropical show-stoppers, and features large, splashy flowers on shrubs that reach heights of 5 to 8 feet. Bring one home to your garden paradise today!

Dahlia

Few plants greet the warm weather as exuberantly as Dahlias. We're getting more sizes and colors constantly during the sunny season, so come browse our selection and celebrate summer in style!

Fuchsia

Ranging in size, shape, and color combinations, our Fuchsia selection includes both classic varieties and options you may not have seen before. Perfect for injecting splashy summer color into your shade areas!

Edibles:

Tropical heat means tropical treats! Get these heat-loving edibles in the ground, and let your summer stay-cation begin!

Avocado

Did you know the Avocado is officially classified as a berry?* We've just stocked up on several varieties, so get your guac on and come check out our selection!

*Although some argue the avocado's seed makes it more of a drupe, most botanists agree its overall structure - particularly its inner fleshy pulp - officially qualifies it as a berry.

Hass' - Largest commercially produced variety; green fruit turns black when ripe, with its recognizable pebbly skin; high-fat flesh and thick, buttery texture; flavor is nutty and rich.

'Little Cado' - A great variety if space is a problem; good for pots and patios, as it only grows 8 to 10 feet tall; consistently bears quality fruit; flavor is similar to Hass, with creamy smooth texture.

'Pinkerton' - A heavy and early producer; the large fruits range from 8 to 18 ounces; flesh is smooth, creamy, and high in oil content, with a very small seed; flavor is nutty and rich.

'Mexicola' - Prized for its cold hardiness, early ripening and excellent fruit quality; fruits are small, but abundant and delicious; flavor is creamy and rich.

'Sir Prize' - An early-ripening Mexican hybrid that ripens before standard Hass in the winter; highly sought for its large fruit and small seed size; flavor is sweet, nutty, and buttery

Passion Fruit Vine

For a tropical taste sure to knock your sandals off, nothing beats Passion Fruit! Here are a couple staff favorites currently waiting for you at the nursery...

'Ava' - Lobed green leaves; bright, light pink, drooping flowers; fruit is yellow-fleshed and nicely balanced between tangy and sweet.

'Frederick' -The premier fruit-producing Passiflora for warmer areas of Southern California; flowers are fragrant and large; fruit is as large as a goose egg, with purple skin and delicious pulp when ripe.

Guava

Once seen only in small Latin mercados, guavas are now a highly anticipated sight in grocery stores all over the Bay Area.

These delicate, delicious fruits don't travel well, so get your fix from your own backyard!

'Tropic White' - Small fruit with succulent, sweet, aromatic white flesh; skin is light yellow, sometimes blushed with red.

'Yellow Lemon' - Small, round and yellow with very thin skin and fragrant yellow flesh; flavor is well balanced, sweet with a touch of tang.

'Red Strawberry' - Fruits are about the size of a golf ball, and look similar to small purple-red pomegranates; has a sweet, tangy strawberry-guava flavor and is high in Vitamin C.

Houseplants:

Transform your home (or at least your child's room) into a prehistoric* wonderland with these wild, wacky, carnivorous plants! Adventure favors the bold...

*The earliest known carnivorous plant fossils are approximately 40 million years old, dating back to the Eocene Epoch!

Venus Fly Trap

A meat-eating plant that uses its cage-like leaves to trap its victims. For optimum success with your Venus Fly Trap, recreate its natural environment as closely as possible (see the Bog Garden project below for a kid-friendly tutorial).

Pitcher Plant

These goblet-shaped plants earn their keep during mosquito season! They may look exotic, but pitcher plants are actually native to parts of the United States. We currently have two varieties of pitcher plant: Sarracenia and Nepenthes. Mosquitoes, beware!

PROJECT: Bog Garden

This summer break, get your kids gardening with a fun project!

Carnivorous plants are a thrill for kids of all ages. Increase your success with these fascinating plants by replicating their natural environment at home.

SUPPLIES

- Carnivorous plants (see below for more details)
- Low, wide, plastic container with no drainage hole, or with a plugged drainage hole
- Round plastic nursery pot (approx. 6 inches tall and 10 inches wide); this pot must have drainage holes
- 1 qt. bag of Hydro Stones
- 1 bag of Sunshine Peat Moss
- 1 qt. bag of horticultural sand
- 410 cu. in. bag of Premium Green Moss (dried sphagnum moss)
- Optional top-dressing materials; try pine straw, pine bark, live sphagnum, and/or quartz gravel

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Provide drainage.
Fill the bottom two inches of the low plastic container with Hydro Stones for drainage.

2. Make the reservoir.
Place your plastic nursery pot in the center of the low container. Leave this pot empty when you fill the rest of the container with soil.

3. Prepare the soil mix.
Create your growing medium by combining 50 percent Sunshine Peat Moss, 30 percent horticultural sand, and 20 percent Premium Green Moss. Saturate the mix with water until it has a mud-like consistency. Fill the planter (outside the plastic pot) with the soil mix.

4. Select plants.
Your mini-bog can include a mix of carnivorous plants and other species that thrive in bogs. At Yamagami's, we carry Venus Fly Traps and two varieties of pitcher plants: Sarracenia and Nepenthes. Orchids are another nice option.

4. Position and install plants.
Position your plants according to how your garden will be viewed. If your mini-bog will be viewed from all sides, plant your tallest species toward the center and terrace down to shorter plants. If it's to be viewed mainly from one side, plant your tallest species at the back and shorter plants in the front.

5. Top dressing.
Once you have installed your plants, you can top dress your mini-bog with pine needles, pine bark, quartz stone, or live sphagnum to provide a sense of realism and added protection for your plants. Top dressing may also help protect your plants from marauding squirrels and birds.

CARE
Water
Water quality is important when growing carnivorous plants. Towards the end of the summer, our Bay Area water table is at its lowest, resulting in water that is higher in mineral salts. We suggest irrigating your mini-bog (and your houseplants!) with distilled water, reverse osmosis water, or rainwater.

When watering your mini-bog, fill the reservoir pot to the top and then let the water level drop to near the bottom over a period of days. This allows the water to slowly drain out into the container to bottom-water your plants, which is better for small plants than top-watering. The pot also functions as a reservoir, reducing the need to water as frequently. Simply refill the pot when the water level drops to its bottom.

Light
Your mini-bog needs at least five to six hours of direct, unobstructed sunlight.

Overwintering
For most carnivorous plants native to the United States, a winter dormancy period is required for long-term survival. Carnivorous plants are not winter hardy in our region, so you will need to shelter your mini-bog during the winter while still allowing the plants to experience natural dormancy.

When freezing temperatures are expected, move the mini-bog to a sunny glassed-in porch or a part of your home where it will be cool but protected. Alternatively, leave the mini-bog outside, but bury the container so that its surface is at the same level as the ground, then mulch the top with 2 to 3 inches of pine needles, oak leaves, or straw.

With just a little time and know-how, you can cultivate your own army of carnivorous plants! Once established, your bog garden requires minimal maintenance. Simply weed and water on a regular basis, and enjoy your plants for years to come.

Get Your Patio Grill-Ready!

There's nothing better than an outdoor kitchen, complete with herbs and veggies to grill!

We've stocked up on a wide selection of pottery in summer-ready colors and designs to help you step up your grill-garden game. Come browse our selection, and fill your patio with fresh ingredients for the BBQ!

Pottery Patterns and Colors:

Featured Recipe
Grilled Fish Tacos with Cherry Tomato Salsa and Avocado

Bring Baja to your backyard with these delectable fish tacos! Homegrown cherry tomatoes start ripening this month, and are the stars of the homemade salsa. Delicioso!

Ingredients:

• 3 cups diced cherry tomatoes
• 1 small serrano chile, stemmed, seeded, and minced
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro
• 2 limes, halved, plus 1 lime, cut into eight wedges (for serving)
• Sea salt
• Vegetable oil
• 1 pound skinless cod or other firm white fish fillets, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
• Eight 6-inch corn tortillas
• 1 Hass avocado, halved, pitted, and cut into 1-inch dice

• A barbeque or grill
• A grill tray or basket

Preparation:

1. Start the coals or heat up your grill. TIP: The smaller the food you're cooking, the hotter your grill temperature should be. For the fish, you should only be able to hold your hand above the grill for 2-3 seconds.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, chile, shallot, and cilantro.
3. Add lime juice 1/2 a lime at a time. Taste, and continue adding more until the taste is tangy, but not overpowering.
4. Season with salt; you'll know you have the right balance when the salt and the citrus even each other out. Let the salsa stand for a minimum of 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
5. Place your grill tray on the grill and let it heat up. Lightly dip a wad of paper towels in oil; holding the wad with tongs, wipe the tray. Continue to wipe the tray with the oiled paper towels, re-dipping the towels in oil between applications, until the tray is glossy, about 5 to 10 times.
6. Season the fish with sea salt and add it to the tray. Cook until nicely browned on all sides, 4 to 6 minutes.
7. Place your tortillas on the grill (not on the tray), and warm for approximately 30 seconds, or until soft and pliable.
8. Transfer the fish to the tortillas and top with the salsa and diced avocado. Fold the tortillas over the filling and serve right away with lime wedges.

Print Recipe